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15 Apr 11 - 01:36 PM (#3135837) Subject: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: GUEST,Alan Whittle Recently Tony Dean of No Fixed Abode was stopping with me on NFA's travels, and he was sitting on the sofa picking an attractive little tune in DADGAD. I recognised it immediately as the music from the buffalo hunting scene in the Kevin Costner movie Wyatt Earp. i asked Tony what the tune was, and i was surprised when he said it was Copperhead Roaad. When i was writing line dance music a few years ago, a publisher sent me a line dance compilation for inspiration, with Copperhead road, by a long shot the best track on the album, and with a big Phil Collins type drum sound. I'd heard Steve earle's solo version with the mandolin at Cambridge and not really been excited by it - to say the least. However I remember thinking at the first time I heard the music on Wyatt Earp that James newton Howard had been influenced in this case by Copeland and his use of traditional melodies. So, I've been wondering - is the tune really well known in American trad sessions? A bit like the Masons apron in England? |
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15 Apr 11 - 02:37 PM (#3135874) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: GUEST,leeneia I've never heard of it. FWIW, it's not in the Fiddler's Fakebook, either. |
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15 Apr 11 - 03:27 PM (#3135890) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: Jack Campin The song is hugely popular worldwide. Every bluegrass/Americana session in Scotland plays it, and a friend of mine reports that every jukebox he came across in Australia had it. But I've never heard it done as an instrumental. |
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15 Apr 11 - 03:47 PM (#3135907) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: GUEST,jeff In recognizing there's only so much one can do w/3 chords and a limited scale, tunes are bound to be similar if not identical. Steve was playing alot of Celtic music at the time and I'm sure subconciously 'stole' a trad tune. As a songwriter I can speak to that particular. Have had to make subtle changes to melodies more than once. :-) Lyrics, too! Afa the tune goes it DOES sound familiar...I've always thought that, but I just figured it to be a case of 'subconcious borrowing'. If one listens to a copy of the Del McCroury Band/Steve Earle project from the late 90s there are a couple of instrumentals on there that sound very Appalachion/Celtic. |
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15 Apr 11 - 03:51 PM (#3135912) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: GUEST,jeff Sorry, that should be 'appalachian'...wish there was an edit option on the MC, sometimes. |
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15 Apr 11 - 07:14 PM (#3136041) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: Rob Naylor It's hugely popular in sessions and open mics in the UK! In the last month I've heard it played in: - Axminster, Devon - Foot's Cray, Kent - Tonbridge, Kent - Tunbridge Wells, Kent - London By different people, slightly differently, but the same song/ tune in each case. |
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15 Apr 11 - 09:13 PM (#3136086) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: michaelr There is an edit option on Mudcat, Guest jeff. It's the Preview box you can check before hitting Submit Message. |
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15 Apr 11 - 09:22 PM (#3136091) Subject: RE: What tune is Copperhead Road? From: Bobert Whoa... I can't believe that anyone would not like Steve Earle's mandolin driven version of Copperhead Road... It is one of my top 10 songs but then again I come from an area where mountain music is played and played well... No, it ain't exactly mountain music but close... BTW, I do the song in whatever key is in front of me... B~ |